Edward Nugee - obituary

Edward Nugee was a barrister who helped to untangle the knotty problems of
ecclesiastical law

Edward NugeePhoto: Dan Kenyon

7:01PM GMT 07 Jan 2015

Edward Nugee, who has died aged 86, was a well known and highly respected barrister, practising at the Chancery Bar.

He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1955; but his practice began at 3 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn. Later, it moved address but was well known as Wilberforce Chambers.

He continued to practise until his death, and thus he had the privilege, believed to be unique, of welcoming in 2013 from the Bar his own son, Sir Christopher Nugee, on to the Bench as a High Court Judge (Sir Christopher’s wife is the Labour MP Emily Thornberry).

Edward Nugee took silk in 1977. His practice as a junior was mostly advisory work, rather than in Court, and this explains why he became a QC relatively late.

Although his command of all branches of English law was encyclopedic, he specialised in property law including landlord and tenant cases, as well as the law of charities and other trusts, with, of course, capital taxes as well. He also made a speciality of private sector pension cases. In fact the chambers became a dominant force in the field of private pensions.

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When he became the head of his chambers, there were only 10 members; but when he retired from that role in 2006 (continuing to practise at the Bar thereafter) there were 45 members including 18 QCs. This growth reflected both his reputation and the increase in pension work.

He was a traditionalist by nature, always wearing a black coat and striped trousers; and he tended to be a fatherly figure in managing the chambers, which he did very effectively. He was popular among colleagues and, being known for common sense and integrity, was made a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1976 and Treasurer (the most senior position) in 1996.

It was not surprising, given his known ability, that he was in 1967 made a Junior Counsel for the Land Commission. He was from 1968 to 1977 Counsel for Litigation under the Commons Registration Act 1965. He was also Conveyancing Counsel to the Treasury, the Defence Department, the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries and the Forestry Commission. These appointments illustrate how highly his advice was rated.

Edward George Nugee was born on August 9 1928 and educated at Radley, having won an open scholarship, and then, after National Service in the Royal Artillery, he went as an exhibitioner up to Worcester College, Oxford, to read Law. He graduated with a First in 1952 and then won the Eldon Law Scholarship in 1953.

Ted Nugee did a great deal of work for the Family Welfare Association, for the London Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and as Poor Man’s Lawyer in Lewisham. He was a Church Commissioner between 1990 and 2001 and on the Legal Advice Commission of the General Synod dealing with knotty problems of ecclesiastical law.

Closer to his legal practice, he was on the Council of Legal Education Committee from 1967 to 1990 and helped with the work of the Law Commission. Between 1982 and 1997 he often sat as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division.

He was, in 1984, appointed chairman of an inquiry into the management problems of privately owned blocks of flats set up by the minister of housing. This resulted in the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1987, but Ted Nugee had nothing to do with the drafting of this Act which Lord Bingham aptly described as “dismal”.

Ted Nugee served in the Territorial Army from 1950 to 1964, retiring as a Captain and holding the Territorial Decoration. He was a man of sometimes surprising views – a lifelong supporter of Russia, a defender of Putin and an enthusiast for Henry VIII.

In 1955 he married Rachel Makower who had served at Bletchley Park as a young woman and later on, having joined the Mothers’ Union (in 1952) became their worldwide president until 1982.